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I truly doubt anyone today would send a letter of this type or one as long-winded!
Dictation pieces must be a minimum of three minutes to be a valid test. Anything under three minutes is therefore not acceptable for testing purposes. Keep in mind that before Diamond Jubilee Gregg, all shorthand tests were five minutes. If you go back far enough, tests were ten minutes or longer.
200 Takes for Building Shorthand Speed, Zoubek, 1946, Letter 112
Dear Mr. Brown: Do you enjoy visiting old friends? If you do, then you can understand how I regret the necessity of writing this letter to you instead of visiting you. However, time and distance make it impossible for me to come to you for a friendly chat; and, therefore,I am forced to substitute this registered letter addressed to your personal attention.
All our customers, like you, Mr. Brown, seem to stay with us a long time and become personal friends. Many of them have told us that one of the things which has caused this friendly feeling toward our company is the frank and open manner in which we handle the rather delicate question of credit. You, too, I am sure, are the kind of person who will appreciate an open discussion of the condition of your account.
You may be sure we want to leave no stone unturned in our effort to cooperate with you, but you can understand that we can help folks only to a reasonable extent.
With your interests uppermost in mind, we feel that we should now have your side of the story and come to a definite understanding in connection with your account before we bend so far backwards that we do you more harm than good.
You will remember that in January your purchases amounted to $185; in February, $325; in March, $245; and in April, $220. Perhaps payment has been withheld because it was inconvenient for you to remit. If so, I suggest that you send me a check for just as much as you can spare to apply on the account, and then let me know your plans for the future. A check for $300 will do very nicely With this check and complete details, perhaps between us we can work out a plan whereby you can pay the balance in two or three installments without crowding you too much.
In the future, you may wish to take advantage of our cash discount, which, incidentally, could have earned you the very substantial sum of $19.50 on your purchases for January.
This is a friendly and frank letter, Mr. Brown, and it calls for equal frankness from you. I am sure you will accept it in the same friendly spirit in which it is written and let me know immediately whether there is anything we can do to help you.
As you know, every once in a while the credit agencies ask us for information about our customers, and we should like to continue giving a favorable report on you as we have in the past.
If you will use the enclosed stamped and self-addressed envelope, your reply, together with your check for as much as you can spare, will come directly to my desk. Very truly yours,
For more information on shorthand speed building, click here.
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